AerospAce engineering sciences

cApstone senior Design progrAm

http://www.colorADo.eDu/AerospAce/

University of Colorado at Boulder

The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Aerospace Engineering Sciences Capstone Senior Design Program provides an innovative educational opportunity for students to undertake a real-world project that benefits an industry customer.

During their senior year, all undergraduate aerospace engineering students must enroll in the department’s two- �semester, 4+4-credit senior projects course to complete their degree. Working in teams to complete a customer-sponsored project approved by the department, students synthesize and apply fundamentals of science, mathematics, and engineering as they simulate the activities of a small, entrepreneurial company.

Each project must include mechanical, electrical, and software elements, so student teams are exposed to a �variety of technical challenges in addition to learning project management and leadership skills. The department offers complementary weekly seminars and workshops on select topics to teach students procedures of running a design project from a requirement to a product.

The unique structure of the Capstone Senior Design course allows students to learn from the expertise of industry �professionals and engineering faculty while tackling a variety of technical challenges. Each team is self-directed, has two assigned faculty advisors, and can call on resources including the program’s Project Advisory Board (PAB), composed of nine faculty and two technical staff.

reAl-worlD projects, reAl-worlD eDucAtion

CU aerospace engineering seniors assemble their MaCH-SR1 hybrid rocket at Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Canyon facility, in preparation for static test. The achieved rocket thrust was 5,000 pounds.

how it worKsEach team of 7-10 students selects its own leadership and specialty leads.

Teams are responsible for their own time and personnel management, including staying within an allocated budget.

Teams report on a weekly basis to their two faculty advisors. Up to three times each semester teams present to the Project Advisory Board.

A full-time machinist and full-time electronics technician are available to give students design and manufacturing guidance in the department shops.

During the fi rst semester, teams focus on the synthesis of technical knowledge, the systems engineering design process, and communication.

During the second semester, teams focus on the fabrication, integration, testing, verifi cation and validation of the designs produced in the fi rst semester

Typical Senior Projects Team Structure

ProjectManager

Subsystem 1Lead Engineer

CFO SafetyEngineer

Customer2 PABAdvisors

ManufacturingEngineer

SystemsEngineer

Subsystem 2Lead Engineer

Subsystem 3Lead Engineer

Subsystem 4Lead Engineer

Common Subsystems:MechanicalElectricalSoftwareAerodynamicsStructuresThermal

1

Self-directed teams operate like small entrepreneurial businesses

ModelStudent Team’s Organizational

Structure

sAmple projectsGroup Name Customer Project Project Specifi cations/Goal

ARCTIC University of Alaska

Arctic Region Climate Tracking and Instrumentation Cargo

The goal is to develop a payload that provides arctic climate data measurements at otherwise inaccessible earth-fi xed locations. The payload will be constructed for an InSitu Insight A-20 UAV.

ReMuS Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Re-deployable Multi-rover System

The goal of this project is to provide a proof-of-concept for an interacting multi-robot system. Two child robots will detach from the mother, perform tasks and reattach to the mother.

VALASA-RAPTOR

NOAA Vertical Ascent and Landing Aircraft for the Study of Atmospherics in recording Acoustic Propagation of Terrestrial and Oceanic Radiation

Design and build modifi cations that will outfi t an existing remote controlled UAV with VTOL and hovering capabilities and carry a NOAA designed probe.

SHARC Sierra Nevada Corporation

Stable Handling Aerial Radio-controlled Cargo-testbed

Develop a low-cost, easy to operate, and reliable aerial vehicle for testing of sensor payloads

project milestonesThe learning goals for the senior design projects are tailored to practices in industry. Students learn how to follow the standard milestones in a design process:

Customer Project Requirements Document � detailing project requirements

Project Definition Document (PDD) � Students analyze top level project requirements, top level system requirements, the potential risks of the design effort, and analyze their skills and personalities (Myers-Briggs test) and form a team organization. This is a written document.

Conceptual Design Document (CDD) � Students present three conceptual designs that could satisfy the customer requirements and define success for the project. This is a written document.

Preliminary Design Review (PDR) � Students present a preliminary design with “back-of-the-envelope” calculations (undergraduate coursework). This is an oral presentation by a subset of the students. All students are required to present once during each semester.

Critical Design Review (CDR) � The selected final design with full analysis has to be presented here. Solidworks designs and prototyping have to prove feasibility. Test plans have to be ready and test facilities must be confirmed for availability. Manufacturing plans and parts lists must be presented. Successful CDR is required to get permission for starting manufacturing.

Fall Final Report � Full documentation of the work throughout the fall semester is required, including the mechanical, electronic and software portions.

Two Interim Reviews � at the start of the spring semester inform the PAB about the progress of manufacturing, integration and testing, including discussion of emerging off-ramp designs.

AIAA Student Paper � Each team writes a paper on their project according to AIAA guidelines for the Student Conferences. The paper is graded by advisers; submission is voluntary.

Spring Project Review � This is the final oral presentation to the PAB which must include a discussion of achieved and intended goals and objectives through testing results.

Spring Final Report � This is the complete report for the two-semester project which includes all data packages developed during the course. Students validate their achievements.

ITLL Design Expo � Students are required to participate in the ITLL Expo and be capable of explaining their technical work to the general public, including primary and high school students.

“Senior design gave me the opportunity to lead my peers through two arduous semesters culminating in the static fire of a 5,000-pound thrust hybrid rocket engine. The lessons I learned about team work have contributed greatly to my success in industry.”

—Derek Lerner, 2004 graduate Lead Systems Engineer Orbital Sciences Corp.

“The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sponsored a senior design project as a proof of concept. The project is to design a mother rover with deployable children. The project has been extremely successful for both the students and JPL. It has provided the students with a real-world task and JPL with research data. The program itself is well run and well executed. JPL has been so pleased with the project that we are looking into sponsoring another one.“

— Barbara Streiffert Senior System and Software System Engineer

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

AccolADes AnD AwArDsAIAA Region V Conference Student Paper Awards: 2008: First Place, Team Division (KRAKEN team) 2008: Second Place, Team Division (MARVLIS team) 2007: First Place, Team Division (SOARS team) 2007: Best Student Paper, JANNAF Conference (MaCH-SR1) 2002: First Place, Undergrad Division (Otto Krauss/MaCH-SR1 )

Team KRAKEN The KRAKEN senior project team won best new entry at the 2008 AUVSI underwater autonomous vehicle competition at Point Loma Naval Base. KRAKEN, pictured below, placed 8th in static judging and 18th overall out of 25. Most new teams do not usually navigate any of the obstacles, so this is an excellent first year showing. KRAKEN also claimed awards at regional and international student paper conferences.

sponsorship BenefitsEach team spends on average 3,600 man-hours on the project over 28 �school weeks.

Sponsors have the opportunity to interact with and mentor potential �future employees.

Sponsors can pay a fee to retain Intellectual Property developed in the �project, if they wish.

sponsor expectAtions Sponsors should understand that the primary goal is education, so �projects that are in the customer’s critical path cannot be accepted. All projects are conducted on a best-effort basis.

Sponsors complete a Project Proposal form (PP) and a Customer �Project Requirements Document (CPRD) in negotiation with the course coordinator.

Sponsors review and negotiate the Project Definition Document (PDD) �and Conceptual Design Document (CDD) with the students.

Sponsors provide the project team with advice and feedback on �submitted documents and presentations.

Sponsors participate in private project reviews (PDR, CDR, IR1, IR2, FPR). �

sponsor A project

Interested parties should �contact the Course Coordinator (see back cover for information) to receive a copy of the Customer Requirements Document and additional information on becoming a sponsor.

Sponsors can select from �two alternative avenues: Minimum Support or Customer Ownership

Customer Ownership �Schedule includes transfer of ownership of project-created Intellectual Property rights to the customer

Customer pays an �infrastructure fee and receives an electronic copy of each project milestone

Additional conditional �deliverables will be based on an agreement between the customer and the AES department

“Forming that relationship between the school and industry was of great benefit to all parties. Not only did the students

get a great learning experience to help prepare them for industry, but SNC was able to obtain valuable research. “

Michael Bertman, Senior Aerospace Engineer Sierra Nevada Corporation

ABout the DepArtment of AerospAce engineering sciencesThe University of Colorado at Boulder’s Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences currently has approximately 400 undergraduates and 160 graduate students. Its 27 faculty work in areas including systems, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering, as well as aerospace sciences — specifically in aerospace technologies, such as aircraft, spacecraft, structural engineering, guidance and control, robotics, GPS, astrodynamics, and space life sciences.

The department sponsors or co-sponsors four interdisciplinary research centers and receives about $10 million annually in sponsored research awards. Leading research centers are in astrodynamics, structures, bioastronautics, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Senior Design: Advancing Aerospace TechnologyAt left, Solar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle makes a test flight over the Rockies.

Below, MaCH-SR1 hybrid rocket testing at Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Canyon Facility.

http://www.colorADo.eDu/AerospAce/

University of Colorado at Boulder Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences

429 UCB Boulder, Colorado 80309-0429

(303) 492-6417

Course Coordinator Prof. Jean Koster 303-492-6945 Jean.koster@colorado.edu

Student Adviser Claire Yang 303-492-2940 Claire.Yang@colorado.edu

Department Chair Prof. Jeffrey Forbes 303-492-4359 Forbes@Colorado.edu

contAct informAtion

Visit the following web sites for more information:

http://www.colorado.edu/ASEN/SrProjects

http://aesseniordesign.ning.com/

(student networking site)